Match Reports
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Leicester City 1 Norwich City 1 27 April, 2003 WITH
their play-off push over, the Canaries still managed to put in a superb
performance against Leicester to claim a point and almost certainly end the
Foxes title hopes. Summerbee's
free kick was flicked on by Gerry Taggart and Benjamin who arrived at the back
post to stab the ball home from a free-kick, with Norwich appealing for offside.
The big forward was clearly shown to be a yard offside on tv replays but the
goal stood. Norwich's
16-year-old strike sensation Ryan Jarvis was twice denied by Walker, a chip
failing to clear the Leicester keeper and a low shot being smothered. He was
matched by his opposite number Robert Green, who pulled off a double save from
Brian Deane and Dickov just before half time. Leicester
had the ball in the net again three minutes after the restart when another
Summerbee set-piece was arrowed to the back post from the left wing for an
unmarked Jamie Scowcroft to head goalwards. Green managed to block the effort,
but although Deane pounced on the rebound and shuffled the ball over the line,
this time the goal was chalked off by the referee's assistant for offside. But with
a little more than 16 minutes remaining, the visitors, who had seen a Darel
Russell effort tipped over by Walker, redressed the balance when substitute Mark
Rivers found the net from 25 yards with a low shot which clipped the inside of
the post. City then
continued to play all the football as the home side resorted to booting long
balls up front. Mulryne and Rivers both tested the keeper before substitute and
top scorer Paul McVeigh almost added to his tally, but Elliott blocked his
volley 4 yards out. It was as
close as City got to a winner but the huge Canary following showed their
appreciation at the final whistle. They had just seen their team play the
promoted Foxes off the park and will be hoping to see their beloved Canaries in
the same position as them at the end of season 2003-04. The draw
leaves the Foxes a point behind Pompey having played a game more than the league
leaders with Norwich guaranteed a top eight finish heading into their final game
of the season against Preston North End next Sunday. Full-time: Leicester 1 Norwich 1 NORWICH CITY:
Green,
Mackay, Fleming, Shackell, Russell, Holt, Mulryne, Henderson (McVeigh 84),
Drury, Roberts, Jarvis (Rivers 65). LEICS:
Walker, Impey, Elliott, Taggart, Rogers, Scowcroft, McKinley, Stewart (Summerbee
16), Dicov, Deane, Benjamin (Ashton 80) SCORERS: Norwich:
Rivers 64 Leics:
Benjamin 20 ATTENDANCE:
31,639 REFEREE:
Mr Olivier BOOKINGS: Norwich: Leics: Norwich City 0 Wolves 3 20 April, 2003 WOLVES
gained revenge for last season’s play-off semi-final defeat with a 3-0 win at
Carrow Road to boost their chances of another top six finish. City
meanwhile face another season in the Nationwide League after three goals in the
second half from Ndah, Sturridge and Miller completed a comfortable success for
the visitors. City
boss Nigel Worthington rang the changes following the Canaries’ lacklustre 0-0
draw away to Walsall on Saturday. The
most eye-catching change saw 16-year-old Academy sensation Ryan Jarvis given his
first senior start, two days after becoming the youngest-ever Canary when he
came on as a second-half substitute at the Bescott Stadium. Lining
up alongside him up front was former Wolves striker Iwan Roberts, while Phil
Mulryne started in the centre of midfield alongside Gary Holt. Meanwhile Steen
Nedergaard was replaced at right-back by Darren Kenton, returning to the side
after he missed the Walsall game suffering from a bug. News
that Ipswich Town had slumped to a 2-1 defeat at Rotherham provided extra
incentive for the Canaries before kick-off - and by the time the game started
there was a pulsating atmosphere around Carrow Road. Jarvis
showed early promise as he jinked into the Wolves box in the second minute and
held the ball up well before forcing the game’s first corner. In
the seventh minute the England Under-17 international was involved again,
controlling the ball well under pressure before threading the ball into the path
of Roberts only for the big man to be denied by a brave save from Murray. A
minute later play switched to the other end and Craig Fleming was booked
following a crunching tackle on Kenny Miller on the touchline. Wolves’s
first half-chance arrived in the 15th minute, when Miller met
Newton’s cross with a volley from a tight angle which Green collected
comfortably. In
the 19th minute a neat chip from Rivers on the right saw Paul McVeigh
connect with an acrobatic volleyed effort, which fortunately for Wolves
ballooned off a defender and fell safely into the arms of Murray. Two
minutes later City came closer still as Gary Holt broke away and played a neat
one-two with Rivers, before his shot was deflected a foot wide of the post off
the outstretched leg of Cameron for a conrer. A
lapse of concentration between Gary Holt and Adam Drury following a Norwich
throw gave Wolves the chance to break in the 29th minute, but with
time and space to do better Kennedy ended the move with a 20-yarder which flew
over the bar. At
the other end good awareness from Jarvis three minutes later saw him release
Rivers for a surging run which took him into the Wolves box, but with Roberts
screaming for it in the middle he blazed high and wide. As
half-time loomed City were a whisker away from grabbing the lead. A Mark Rivers
corner fell to Kenton and his header was cleared off the line by Kennedy – and
when the rebound fell to Mulryne his half-volley was also hooked off the line by
Butler with Murray nowhere. Half-time:
Norwich City 0, Wolverhampton Wanderers 0 Wolves
started the second period looking purposeful and Holt had to be on his toes to
intercept a cross-shot from Newton which flashed across the City goal a minute
after the restart. But
the visitors were in the lead just five minutes later when George Ndah broke
clear of the City defence and eluded the challenge of Malky Mackay, before
firing in a shot from the edge of the box which went in to the far corner off
Green’s outstretched hand. Norwich
tried hard to find an immediate reply but their next chance didn’t come until
the hour-mark when a superb cross from the left from Drury was met by Jarvis,
but the youngster’s header flashed inches wide of the post. City
manager Worthington then made his first change of the afternoon, Ian Henderson
replacing top scorer McVeigh. Wolves’
Paul Butler was booked for a challenge on Holt in the 63rd minute and
Mulryne curled the resulting free-kick goalwards from 30 yards only for Murray
to save comfortably. Two
minutes later Roberts got up well to nod Rivers’ deep cross back across the
box and when the ball fell invitingly to Kenton he drilled it wide from 16
yards. Wolves
boss Dave Jones then made a change of his own, taking off goalscorer Ndah and
bringing on Dean Sturridge. With
69 minutes gone a slick passing move from Wolves saw former Man United star
Dennis Irwin try his luck from 25 yards out with a fierce effort which dipped
just over the bar. Substitute
Henderson began and ended a neat City attack in the 71st minute,
first picking out Rivers with a clever cross-field ball and then when Mulryne
eventually swung the ball back in, meeting it with a side-footed volley straight
at Murray. Worthington
made his second change of the afternoon, replacing Roberts with fellow Canary
striker Zema Abbey. But
Wolves hit back with a killer blow with 15 minutes to go. Kennedy was given time
on the left to whip in a lovely cross which was met with a bullet header from
substitute Sturridge from six yards which gave Green no chance. With
eight minutes left Jarvis left the field to a standing ovation after a promising
home debut, replaced by on-loan striker David Healy. Kennedy
nearly capped a fine display with a third for Wolves with three minutes to go
when he drove in a low 22-yard shot which Green dived to tip wide for a corner.
And the livewire Wolves midfielder still wasn’t finished, forcing another
Green save with a rifled 25-yard effort a minute later. In
the dying seconds Kennedy was involved again, this time teeing up Kenny Miller
for a simple goal to complete a depressing afternoon for the Canaries. Norwich City 2 Burnley 0 12 April, 2003 Goals
in either half from Steen Nedergaard and Zema Abbey helped Norwich to keep the
pressure on their play-off rivals. A
comfortable afternoon’s work lifted City to just four points off sixth-placed
Reading, who don’t play until Tuesday night when they entertain Preston North
End. Nedergaard
opened the scoring when he headed home Paul McVeigh’s third-minute corner and
Abbey pounced in the 67th minute to prod home from close range after
Healy’s shot was saved by Michopoulos. City
boss Nigel Worthington opted for a 4-4-2 formation at the start, with on-loan
striker David Healy joining Zema Abbey in attack. The
tactical shift relegated Clint Easton to the bench after he featured in a
five-man midfield at Derby – a City bench which also featured the welcome
sight of Craig Fleming returning to the squad. Norwich
started brightly in the sunshine – and grabbed a sensational start after just
three minutes, when Steen Nedergaard met McVeigh’s corner with a thumping
header which flew past Michopoulos at the near post to give the Canaries the
lead. And
with the Burnley defence looking decidedly shaky at this stage they should have
doubled their advantage three minutes later when Abbey pounced on an awful
backpass, but with the ‘keeper stranded he fired his 12-yard shot against a
defender’s backside. Burnley
recovered some of their composure and enjoyed the lion’s share of possession
for the next ten minutes. Robbie Blake looked dangerous and warmed Green’s
hand with a low shot from the edge of the area in the 15th minute. City
broke to the other end and when Briscoe handled on the edge of the box, Healy
tested Michopoulos with a well-struck free-kick which the Clarets ‘keeper
collected at the second attempt. In
the 19th minute Blake cut in along the byeline and hit a low pass
into the six-yard which took a dangerous-looking deflection before Mark Rivers
hacked it over his own goal to safety. There
was a lengthy stoppage after 24 minutes when Burnley’s Lee Briscoe stayed down
after a fifty-fifty challenge with Darren Kenton on the edge of the City box. He
was eventually stretchered off with his right leg heavily strapped up and
replaced by Gordon Armstrong. Darel
Russell had a half-chance for Norwich in the 32nd minute when he met
Healy’s corner with a volley on the edge of the area, but his effort sailed
well wide of the post. In
the 37th minute Kenton received the game’s first booking when he
had Burnley’s Paul Weller in a bit of a ‘Jam’ with a firm challenge as the
Burnley player threatened on the City right. Two
minutes later Burnley should have equalised when Blake picked out Papadopoulos
in the Norwich box and he passed to Taylor, who blazed over from six yards with
the goal gaping. Three
minutes before the break Branch was booked for kicking the ball away petulantly
after he was adjudged to have brought down Healy. Half-time:
Norwich City 1, Burnley 0 The
second half started on a positive note for City as Healy found himself with time
and space in the Burnley box a minute after the restart, but he hesitated before
attempting to pick out Russell and a defender was able to intercept and knock
the ball behind. In
the 51st minute the Canaries broke clear and found themselves
out-numbering the Burnley defence three to one. Rivers picked out the unmarked
Healy ten yards out, but though Michopoulos then appeared to bring down the City
striker no penalty was awarded. Burnley
boss Stan Ternent then made his second change of the afternoon, first-half
substitute Arsmtrong going off again to be replaced by Richard Chaplow. Five
minutes later with Norwich holding on comfortably Ternent made his final change,
Matthew O’Neill coming on for Papadopoulos. But
the changes failed to unsettle City in the slightest and they extended their
lead in the 67th minute through Zema Abbey. McVeigh
picked up the ball and after some neat footwork picked out Healy on the left.
Healy’s fierce curling effort from ten yards out was parried by Michopoulos,
but Abbey pounced to prod home the rebound for his sixth goal of the season. In
the 72nd minute Rivers played a nice ball into the right-hand channel
for Russell to run on to and the City midfielder did well to cut inside his man
and drive the ball across the box, but Branch slid in to intercept and clear. On
a rare Burnley attack Taylor tried his luck from 25 yards in the 83rd
minute but his low effort bobbled just past the far post as Robert Green
scrambled across. With
three minutes to go Iwan Roberts received a warm ovation from the Carrow Road
crowd as he came on for Rivers. Two minutes later Clint Easton replaced Paul
McVeigh and with the seconds ticking away Ian Henderson came on for Healy, who
had been a thorn in Burnley’s side for much of the afternoon. Final
score: Norwich City 2, Burnley 0 NORWICH
CITY: Green,
Nedergaard, Mackay, Kenton, Drury, Rivers (Roberts 87), Holt, Russell, McVeigh
(Easton 89), Abbey (Roberts 87), Healy (Henderson 90). Unused Subs:
Crichton, Fleming BURNLEY:
Michopoulos,
West, McGregor, Branch, Briscoe (Armstrong 27(Chaplow 54)), Davis, Papadopolous
(O'Neill 64), Weller, Blake, Moore, Taylor. SCORERS: Norwich:
Nedergaard (3), Abbey (67) Burnley: ATTENDANCE:
20,026 REFEREE:
Mr Tomlin BOOKINGS: Norwich:
Kenton Burnley: McGregor Derby County 2 Norwich City 1 5 April, 2003 AN
UNCHARACTERISTIC nightmare blunder by Robert Green gifted all three points to
Derby County at Pride Park. City took
the lead early in the first half thanks to a 25-yard wonder-strike from leading
scorer Paul McVeigh, his 15th of the season. But Derby
hit back with a goal from Craig Burley, nephew of interim Rams boss George
Burley, to go in level at half-time. And after
the break Green came out to clear his lines from a routine backpass from Darren
Kenton in the 58th minute, but missed his kick horribly and the ball trickled
into the empty net as he scrambled back in a vain attempt to stop it going in. With Adam
Drury pulling out of the side through illness, City boss Nigel Worthington gave
a debut to young Academy product Jason Shackell. Paul
McVeigh returned to the squad from international duty and took his place on the
left of a five-man Norwich midfield, while Northern Ireland team-mate David
Healy had to be content with a place on the bench. Derby,
fired up by the arrival of former Ipswich boss George Burley as internim
manager, started brightly and Elliott forced a corner when his fifth minute
header was blocked by Zema Abbey at the expense of a corner. But
roared on by more than 3,000 travelling supporters it was Norwich who took the
lead in stunning fashion, when McVeigh cut in from the left in the 11th minute
and unleashed a superb strike over Oakes and into the far corner from fully 25
yards out. The Rams
tried to hit back but Boertien let his enthusiasm get the better of him when he
pole-axed Mark Rivers in the 13th minute and was duly booked for his pains. And
within a minute City could have doubled their lead as Craig Burley gave his
uncle George and anxious moment, crashing an attempted clearance against Darel
Russell’s back only for the ball to bounce just a couple of feet wide of the
post. Russell’s
lively start continued and he pounced on slack Derby passing in defence in the
19th minute before breaking clear and chipping the ball just over the bar. Just when
it seemed City were in the driving seat however, County hit back to level
matters in the 26th minute through Burley. The move
started with a great cross-field ball from Ravanelli to Boertien, whose low
cross into the box was thumped home by Burley as he arrived late into the danger
area. Burley
was then involved at the other end two minutes later, this time for the wrong
reasons as he earned a booking for scything Rivers down as the Norwich winger
threatened on the right. In the
32nd minute the Canaries carved out another chance as Zema Abbey broke free in
the right-hand channel and crossed low but unfortunately just behind Russell,
who could only shoot awkwardly wide. Four
minutes later a typically robust run by Gary Holt ended with a good cross to
Abbey, who despite the presence of several Derby defenders managed to get a shot
in but hit it into the ground and wide. With four
minutes to go until half-time Derby had a great chance to snatch the lead when
Elliott met Kinkladze’s free kick unmarked at the far post, but his header was
brilliantly saved by the scrambling figure of Robert Green. Half-time
score: Derby County 1, Norwich City 1 There
were no changes at half-time and Norwich started the more positively in the
opening exchanges of the second period. Six minutes after the break
Nedergaard’s cross from the right fell to Abbey but he couldn’t connect
cleanly with the header and it fell comfortably wide of the Derby goal. But with
City apparently firmly in control of their own destiny they gifted the lead to
the home side thanks to a horrible and uncharacteristic error from Canary
‘keeper Robert Green. A
harmless-looking backpass from Kenton just before the hour-mark looked routine
for the City goalie, but in scenes reminiscent of the legendary derby blunder by
Bryan Gunn against Ipswich, Green completely missed his clearance and despite
his desperate attempts to get back and claw it away the ball trickled into the
empty net. Worthington
responded with a substitution four minutes later, a hobbling Nedergaard replaced
by Neil Emblen. And in the 68th minute Abbey and Rivers were replaced by Iwan
Roberts and David Healy, the latter duo slotting in up front as City reverted to
a 4-4-2 formation. Three
minutes later Ravanelli and Mooney broke forward for the Rams, but the latter
earned some choice words from his illustrious team-mate when he elected to let
fly with a hopeful shot from 30 yards out which sailed harmlessly wide. Iin the
72nd minute Kenton caused panic in the Derby defence as he headed the ball on
into the area for Roberts, but the City sub just couldn’t make a clean
connection in front of goal despite having two bites at the cherry and the ball
was finally cleared. Burley
then made two changes of his own, Bolder and McCleod coming on for Mooney and
Ravanelli as Derby changed to a more defensive formation hoping to hold on to
their slender lead. McCleod
almost made an immediate impact as he intercepted a poor backpass by McVeigh in
the 76th minute but Green did well to save the Derby sub’s hurried effort. The City
defence were not enjoying their best spell of the match and a lack of
communication between Green and Shackell allowed Bolder to nip and chip the ball
inches over and on to the roof of the net. A minute
later yet another mistake saw Emblen caught in possession and Bolder found
himself one-on-one with Green 12 yards out but failed to find the target. With six
minutes to go a cross by Russell was met by a header from Roberts, but Oakes
saved comfortably. City at
last rallied and attempted to exert pressure in the closing minutes but too
often hit their final ball too close to Oakes. With virtually the last kick of
the match Darel Russell tried his luck with a 20-yard drive but hit his shot
straight at Oakes. Final
score: Derby County 2, Norwich City 1 NORWICH CITY: Green,
Nedergaard (Emblen 64), Mackay, Kenton, Shackell, Rivers (Healy 67), Holt,
Russell, Easton, Abbey (Roberts 67), McVeigh. Unused Subs: Crichton,
Sinclair. DERBY:
Oakes, Barton,
Ritchie, Elliott, Boertien, Jackson, Burley, Kinkladze, Valakari, Mooney (McLeod
74), Ravanelli (Bolder 74) SCORERS: Norwich:
McVeigh (10) Derby:
Burley 24, Kenton o.g 57 ATTENDANCE:
23,643 REFEREE:
Mr Ross BOOKINGS: Norwich:
Russell
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